Dispensing carton with siftproof pouring arrangement



Oct. 8, 1968 R. l.. vw||||='PL'-:RM.;14 3,404,828

DISPENSING CARTON WITH SIFTPROOF POURING ARRANGEMENT Filedug. 2. 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 c. 8, 1968 R. L. WHIPPERMAN 3,404,828

DISPENSING CARTON WITH SIFTPROOF POURING VARRANGEMENT med Aug. 2, 1967 2 sheets-sheet a United States Patent 3,404,828 DISPENSING CARTON WITH SIFTPROOF POURING ARRANGEMENT Ronald L. Whipperman, Northlake, Ill., assignor to Con- `tainer Corporation of America, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 2, 1967, Ser. No. 657,969 6 Claims. (Cl. 229-17) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A paperboard dispensing carton having a pouring member in a corner thereof comprising a pair of upper and lower elements which are alternately depressible to open and close the pouring member and which are divided from each other by an area of severance formed by a pair of inner and outer cuts spaced from each other to deiine therebetween marginal portions on the respective elements which overlap.

The invention relates to pouring opening means for paperboard folding cartons, and more particularly to an improved construction, for a dispensing carton of the type disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,338,- 260, but which is sift-proof so as to ybe particularly suitable for the packaging of granular or powdered materials.

In the arrangement disclosed in Patent No. 2,338,260, after the respective elements of the pouring spout member have been separated from each other, there remains between said elements a crack or slit through which the packaged material can pass even though the cartoin 1s in closed condition.

It is therefore an object -of the invention to provide, in a carton of the type described, a pouring spout member comprising a pair of adjacent elements with adjacent marginal portions which overlap upon reclosure of the carton.

A more specific object kof the invention is the provision of a pouring spout member having adjacent elements with overlapping marginal portions which are formed by a pair of cuts spaced from each other to define therebetween overlying inner and outer delaminatable portions which are readily separable from each other upon opening of the carton and which overlap upon reclosure of the carton.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from an examination of the following description and Y drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of one corner of a paperboard folding carton with a reclosable pouring spout arrangement embodying features of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of a portion of the blank from which the construction of FIGURE 1 can be formed;

FIGURES 3 and 3a are fragmentary vertical sections taken on line 3 3 of FIGURE 1 and line 3a-3a of FIGURE 5, respectively;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE l but with the carton being shown in the open position;

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 but with the carton shown in the reclosed position;

FIGURES 6, 7 and 8 are similar to FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, lrespectively, but illustrate a modified form of the invention; and

FIGURES 9 and 10 are similar to FIGURES 1 and 2, respectively, but illustrate yet another form of the invention.

It will be understood that, for purposes of clarity, certain elements have been intentionally eliminated from certain views where they are believed to be illustrated to better advantage in other views.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of the invention, it will be seen that one form of the invention is shown in FIGURES 1 through 5.

In this embodiment of the invention it will be seen that a carton, indicated generally at C, shown in FIG- URE 1 may be formed from the blank B a portion of which is illustrated in FIGURE 2 of the drawing.

The carton includes a pouring spout member, indicated generally at 10, formed from portions of adjacent carton side walls 12 which are interconnected along a generally vertically disposed hinge line 14.

Pouring spout member 10 is preferably somewhat leaf or tear-drop shaped and has outer side edges delined by a pair of generally vertically disposed fold lines 16 in respective side walls 12 which intersect at their upper and lower ends at the hinge line 16 above and below the pou-ring spout member and which are bowed outwardly intermediate their ends.

The pouring spout member is divided into a pair of upper and lower elements 22 and 24, respectively, by a generally horizontally disposed area of severance 20 which extends transversely between the respective fold lines 16.

As best seen in FIGURE 3, the area of severance is formed by rst and second cuts 30 and 32 which are made in `the outer and inner surfaces, respectively, of the carton side walls and which are spaced from each other vertically to define therebetween a pair of overlying outer and inner delaminatable marginal portions on the lower and upper elements, respectively. These marginal portions are readily severable or delaminatable from each other upon opening of the cartons by the application of pressure against the outer surface of the upper element 22.

In order to open the carton the upper element is depressed inwardly to a portion at which its inward extension is maintained by a dead center effect, so as to produce a pouring opening 40 in the carton above the upper edge of the lower element. To reclose the carton the lower element is depressed inwardly to the extent of relieving said dead center effect to permit said upper elernent to return to the carton closing position.

It will be understood that before the carton has been initially opened marginal portion 36 on lower element 24 overlies marginal portion 36 on upper element 22; however, upon reclosure of the carton, as shown in FIG- URES 3a and 5, it will be seen that marginal portion 34 on upper element 22 overlaps marginal portion 36 on lower element 22. The purpose lof this overlap is to eifect a sift-proof closure between the upper and lower elements, and thereby prevent the accidental removal of the contents from the carton.

In order to facilitate the overlap upon reclosure and prevent tearing of the marginal portions, upper cut l may be inclined downwardly at its ends slightly toward lower cut 132.

If desired, in order to increase the ease with which the upper element 22 may be deflected on opening of the carton the respective sections 22a of the upper element may be provided with a pair of short crease lines 50.

Now turning to FIGURE 6 through 8 it will be seen that a modified form of the invention is shown.

This embodiment is generally similar in construction and operation to the previously described embodiment except that the cuts 130 and 132 have been reversed with upper cut 130 being made from the inside of the carton and lower cut 132 being made from the outside surface of the carton side walls. This carton functions in the same manner, except that upon reclosure of the carton the marginal portions do not overlap in the reverse order.

J Marginal portion 134 of upper element 122, which is initially outwardly of marginal portion 136 of lower element 124 remains in this position after reclosure of the carton.

In FIGURES 9 and 10 a modied form of the same invention is shown. This embodiment is exactly the same in structure and operation as the embodiment illustrated in FIGURES 1-5, except that upper element 222 of pouring spout member 210 includes a central depressible section 260 defined by a pair of bowed crease lines 226. The purpose of this is to interrupt crease line 214 of the carton to make it easier to depress upper element 222 when the carton is being opened. If desired, lower element 224 may be provided with a similar arrangement.

Thus, it will be seen that in each of the embodiments, there is provided an improved two-element pouring spout member that is easily openable and reclosable and which has a sift-proof feature which prevents the passage of granular or similar material between the respective elements of the pouring member upon reclosure of the f.

carton.

I claim:

1. A paperboard carton for holding and dispensing granular material comprising:

(a) -a reclosable, sift-proof pouring spout member located at a corner of the carton and being formed from adjacent portions of a pair of angularly related side walls which are interconnected along a vertical hinge line;

(b) said member having side edges defined by a pair of fold lines in respective side walls which intersect at said hinge line above and below said member and which bow outwardly from each other intermediate their ends;

(c) said member being divided by an area of severance, extending transversely between said fold lines, into upper and lower elements each of which is divided into a pair of sections hingedly interconnected along said hinge line;

(d) said upper element being depressible inwardly of the carton to a portion at which its inward extension is maintained by a dead center effect, so as to produce an opening in the carton above the lower element, and said lower element being depressible inwardly to the extent of relieving said dead center elTect to permit said upper element to returnv to carton closing position;

(e) said area of severance being formed by a pair of transverse cutsl in opposite surfaces of said side walls each extending approximately halfway therethrough and being spaced vertically from each other a relatively short distance to form therebetween overlying, delaminatable, inner and outer marginal portions on respective elements which are readily separable upon opening of the carton and which overlap upon reclosure of the carton to prevent the sifting of said material between said elements.

2. A carton according to claim 1, wherein said lower element is appreciably larger in area than said lower section.

3. A carton according to claim 1, wherein the uppermost cut in the area of severance is on the outside surface of the side walls and the lowermost cut is on the inside surface of the side walls, so that the outermost .marginal portion is on the lower element and the innermost marginal portion is on the upper element initially.

4. A carton according to claim 1, wherein the uppermost cut in the area of severance is on the inside surface of the side walls and the lowermost cut is on the outside surface of the side walls, so that the outermost marginal portion is on the upper element and the innermost marginal portion is on the lower element initially.

5. A carton according to claim 1, wherein said marginal portions overlap each other in reverse order upon reclosure of the carton.

6. A carton according to claim 1, wherein said upper element has a depressible area formed therein defined by a plurality of interconnected score lines.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,338,260 1/1944 Ringler 229--17 2,608,341 8/1952 Eckman 229-51 2,953,293 9/1960 Anderson 229-51 3,262,627 7/1966 Kersh et al. 229-7 DAVID M. BOCKENEK, Primary Examiner. 

